أتُرىdo you think عَلِمواthey knew لمّاwhen رحلواthey departed
أتُرى عَلِموا لمّا رحلوا
ماذاwhat فعَلواthey did أمْor مَنwhom قتَلواthey slew
ماذا فعَلوا أمْ مَن قتَلوا
Do you think they knew, when they departed,
what they had done, or whom they had slain?
خدَعواthey deceived بالمَيْنِwith lies قَتيلَone slain by البَيْparting (first part)
خدَعوا بالمَيْنِ قَتيلَ البَيْ
نِcompletion of 'parting' فدمعُso the tears of العَينthe eye لهُمfor them ذُلُلُflowing readily
نِ فدمعُ العَين لهُم ذُلُلُ
With lies they deceived the one slain by parting;
so the eye's tears flow freely for them.
وبسَمْعيand within my hearing ثَوَّرَroused حادِيهِمْtheir camel-driver
وبسَمْعي ثَوَّرَ حادِيهِمْ
وبعينيand in my sight قُرِّبَتِwere brought near البُزُلُthe full-grown camels
وبعيني قُرِّبَتِ البُزُلُ
Within my hearing their camel-driver roused the camels,
and before my eyes the full-grown camels were brought near.
فمتىso when وصَلواthey offered union حتىonly to قطَعواthey severed ties
فمتى وصَلوا حتى قطَعوا
ومتىand when سمَحواthey were generous حتىonly to بَخِلواthey were miserly
ومتى سمَحوا حتى بَخِلوا
So when did they ever offer union, only to sever it?
And when were they generous, only to grow miserly?
قدindeed زادhas increased جنونُthe madness of النَّفسِthe soul بمَنْover one who
قد زاد جنونُ النَّفسِ بمَنْ
للعقلfor the mind محاسنُهhis beauties عُقَلُfetters
للعقل محاسنُه عُقَلُ
The soul's madness has grown over one
whose beauties are fetters for the mind.
إنif قامhe rises أقامhe brings on قيامَتهاits Day of Resurrection
إن قام أقام قيامَتها
أوor جالَhe moves about فَجَوْلتُهthen his movement الأجَلُdeath
أو جالَ فَجَوْلتُه الأجَلُ
If he rises, he brings on its Day of Resurrection;
or if he moves, his movement is death.
كقَضيبِlike a bough of البانthe bān tree وفيand in الأجفاthe eyelids (first part)
كقَضيبِ البان وفي الأجفا
نcompletion of 'eyelids' منamong الغِزلانِthe gazelles لهhe has مثَلُa likeness
ن من الغِزلانِ له مثَلُ
Like a bān-tree bough; and in his eyelids
he bears a likeness to the gazelles.
أشكوI lament زَمَنَاًan age أَوْلَىbestowed مِحَناًafflictions
أشكو زَمَنَاً أَوْلَى مِحَناً
وجنىand reaped حَزَنَاًsorrow فَعَفَتْso were effaced سُبُلُpaths
وجنى حَزَنَاً فَعَفَتْ سُبُلُ
I lament an age that bestowed afflictions
and reaped sorrow, so paths were effaced.
العلمُlearning يُهانُis dishonored وليسand is not يُصاis safeguarded (first part)
العلمُ يُهانُ وليس يُصا
نcompletion of 'is safeguarded' فأيُّso what لسانٍtongue يَرْتَجِلُimprovises
ن فأيُّ لسانٍ يَرْتَجِلُ
Learning is dishonored and not safeguarded;
so what tongue can improvise?
Sol 6.1